Holy cow: Israeli cows yield more milk than their competitors

Editorial

Israeli cows' milk production
is among the highest in the world, Army Radio reported Friday.

The
radio was quoting figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics to
coincide with the forthcoming Shavuot holiday, traditionally seen in
Israel as the "dairy holiday."

Milk yield of Israeli cows
surpasses not just their famous Dutch competitors, the CBS data says, but
also those of Spain, Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand.

According to the report, the average Israeli milk-producing cow
yields about 10,000 liters of milk a year. In 2004 it was estimated that
the gross out-put of milk in Israel was 1.208 billion liters, up about 2.4
percent from the previous year.

The average Israeli consumes about
166.6 liters of milk a year, less than his Greek or American equivalents,
but more than his Spanish, Lebanese or Egyptians counterparts, Army Radio
said.

The average Israeli family spends about NIS 223 a month on
dairy products (2.2 percent of an average family's gross monthly
expenditure), the CBS said.

The average Israeli household spends
about NIS 46 per month on pasteurized milk, NIS 67 on cheeses and NIS 28
on other dairy products.